1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to, for example, an electronic instrument such as an audio unit mounted on an automotive vehicle.
2. Related Art
An automotive vehicle has an instrument panel provided with a CD player 100 which is one of electronic instruments. FIGS. 13 and 14 are each a sectional view showing a part of the CD player 100. The CD player 100 reads out information stored on a record medium such as a compact disc (called as CD hereinafter).
The CD player 100 illustrated in FIG. 13 includes an instrument body 101 defining a flat box fitted to the instrument panel and a cover body 102 removably engaged with the instrument body 101. The instrument body 101, which has been mounted in the instrument panel, has a front surface 101a opposed to an occupant in the vehicle. The front surface 101a has an insertion opening (not shown) passing a CD.
The cover body 102 is engaged with the instrument body 101 so as to be pivotal around a lower end of the cover body 102, so that the cover body 102 opens and closes the insertion opening of the instrument body 101. The cover body 102 has a display area such as a liquid crystal display and a plurality of operational buttons.
The CD player 100 has a first joint portion 103 and a second joint portion 104 for removably engaging the cover body 102 with the instrument body 101 to open and close the insertion opening. The first joint portion 103 is positioned at each side end of the instrument body 101. The first joint portion 103 engages with a stopper pin 105 provided at a lower end of the cover body 102. The first joint portion 103 engaged with the stopper pin 105 supports the cover body 102 pivotally around the lower end.
The second joint portion 104 engages with a stopper hook 106 provided at an upper end of the cover body 102. The cover body 102 has a release button 107 for releasing the second joint portion 104 from the stopper hook 106. The second joint portion 104, which has engaged with the stopper hook 106, attaches the cover body 102 to the front surface 101a of the instrument body 101 to close the insertion opening. Operation of the release button 107 releases the upper end of the cover body 102 from the second joint portion 104. The first joint portion 103 is operable independently from the second joint portion 104 in engagement and disengagement movements with the corresponding stoppers.
In the CD player 100 described above, the first joint portion 103 and the second joint portion 104 are each engaged with the corresponding lower or upper end of the cover body 102 to attach the cover body 102 to the instrument body 101. A user pushes the release button 107 to release the engagement of the second joint portion 104 for reproducing a CD and pivots the cover body 102 around the lower end to open the insertion opening. The insertion of the CD through the opening automatically loads the CD in the instrument body. Then, the cover body 102 is pivoted reverse to close the insertion opening and the second joint portion 104 engages with the stopper hook 106 provided at the upper end of the cover body 102. Operation of a button of the cover body 102 can reproduce the CD.
In the CD player 100, the first joint portion 103 and the second joint portion 104 attach and remove the cover body 102 relative to the instrument body 101 independently from each other. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the first joint portion 103 can be in a disengaged state from the cover body 102 while the second joint portion 104 has engaged with the cover body 102. In this state, the cover body 102 will fall undesirably from the instrument body 101 when the release button 107 is operated to release the second joint portion 104 from the instrument body 101, since the first joint portion 103 has not engaged with the cover body 102. The unintentional dropout may undesirably cause breakdown of the cover body 102.
The CD player 100 has a pushing arm 108 for turning the cover body 102 to open the insertion opening while the engagement of the second joint portion 104 has been released. The pushing arm 108 is U-shaped in a side view thereof. The pushing arm 108 is turnably supported at one end thereof on the instrument body 101 and is resiliently urged at the other end thereof forward relative to the front surface 101a. The pushing arm 108 turns so that the other end protrudes from the front surface 101a on disengagement of the second joint portion 104. The pushing arm 108 pushes the cover body 102 to tern it to open the insertion opening.
The pushing arm 108 has a circular column pin 109 at one end thereof for turnably supporting the pushing arm 108 on the instrument body 101, while the instrument body 101 has a hole for passing the pin 109. The pin 109, which has been passed through the hole, is stopped by a C or E ring at each end thereof, so that the pushing arm 108 is turnably fitted in the instrument body 101.
This increases the number of parts for turnably fitting the pushing arm 108 in the instrument body 101, since a couple of C or E rings are required for stopping the pin 109 at each end thereof. This increases time and effort for attaching the pushing arm 108 on the instrument body 101 due to the insertion and stopping work for the pin 109 and the C or E rings. Thus, the fitting construction having the pushing arm 108 tends to increase a manufacturing cost of the electronic instrument.
In view of the above-mentioned situation, an object of the invention is to provide an electronic instrument that can prevent undesirable dropout of a cover body from an instrument body thereof.
For solving the problem to achieve an object, an electronic instrument according to the present invention comprises:
an instrument body and a cover body removably covering a surface of the instrument body,
a first joint member mounted on the instrument body for engaging with a first end of the cover body,
a second joint member mounted on the instrument body for engaging with a second end of the cover body, and
a link mechanism,
wherein the link mechanism moves the second joint member toward a disengaged position of the second joint member from the second end when the first joint member moves toward an engaged position of the first joint member with the first end, and the link mechanism allows the second joint member to engage with the second end after the first joint member has engaged with the first end.
Therefore, the link mechanism moves the second joint member toward a disengaged position of the second joint member from the second end when the first joint member moves toward an engaged position of the first joint member with the first end. Meanwhile, the link mechanism moves the second joint member to engage with the second end after the first joint member has engaged with the first end. This prevents the second joint member from engaging with the second end while the first joint member is not engaged with the first end.
Thus, the first joint member has surely engaged with the lower end of the operation unit so that the operation unit is held by the instrument body, even when the engagement of the second joint member is released. Thus, an unintentional dropout of the operation unit from the instrument body is surely eliminated even when the engagement of the second joint member is released with the operation unit being held by the instrument body.
Preferably, the link mechanism further includes:
a first urging member for resiliently urging the first joint member to engage the first joint member with the first end,
a second urging member for resiliently urging the second joint member to engage the second joint member with the second end,
a first abutment portion formed on the first joint member, and
a second abutment portion formed on the second joint member and being able to contact the first abutment portion,
wherein the first abutment portion contacts the second abutment portion to move the second joint member in a disengaging direction of the second joint member from the second end against a resilient force of the second urging member when the first joint member moves in an engaging direction of the first joint member with the first end, and a resilient force of the second urging member allows the second joint member to engage with the second end after the first joint member has engaged with the first end.
This prevents the second joint member from engaging with the upper end of the second joint member, while the first joint member has not engaged with the lower end of the operation unit. Thus, the first joint member has surely engaged with the lower end of the operation unit so that the operation unit is held by the instrument body, even when the engagement of the second joint member is released. Thus, unintentional dropout of the operation unit from the instrument body is surely eliminated even when the engagement of the second joint member is released with the operation unit being held by the instrument body.
Preferably, the first abutment portion inclines so as to gradually come away from the second joint member relative to a direction extending inward from the surface of the instrument body, and the second abutment portion inclines so as to gradually come close to the first joint member relative to a direction extending inward from the surface of the instrument body.
This moves the second joint member in a disengaging direction thereof while the first joint member moves to engage with the first end. This prevents the second joint member from engaging with the upper end of the second joint member, while the first joint member has not engaged with the lower end of the operation unit. Thus, the first joint member has surely engaged with the lower end of the operation unit so that the operation unit is held by the instrument body, even when the engagement of the second joint member is released. Thus, unintentional dropout of the operation unit from the instrument body is surely eliminated even when the engagement of the second joint member is released with the operation unit being held by the instrument body.
Preferably, the first joint member supports the cover body pivotally around the first end.
Thus, the insertion opening can be surely opened while the engagement of the second joint member is released. Through the opened insertion opening, a record medium can be surely inserted into and removed from the instrument body.